The department “Textiles – Free, Applied and Experimental Art and Design”
focuses on the creative exploration, communication and role of textiles in society. Textiles play a fundamental role within
our material culture – in everyday life, in art and architecture, fashion and design, and science and technology. Not purely
functional, they are rather a site where the personal, the cultural and the political intersect.
Interweaving
theory and practice, the department provides a solid foundation in critical thinking and the tools to develop a reflective
artistic practice. Textile techniques and contemporary artistic practices are explored in seminars and workshops. The workshops
include tailoring, weaving, printing, plastics, dyeing and leather processing. Through experimental processes and critical
inquiry, the notion of textile craft is continuously re-defined and expanded. The students are encouraged to think about their
work beyond materiality, enabling performative, collective, and participatory formats.
The creative, supportive
environment fostered by the department gives each student the social and analytic skills to prepare them for future
work in the field of art and design education and mediation. Graduates teach in secondary and higher education and work in
the fields of art, design, media, theater, film and research.
In addition to teaching, the department is dedicated
to artistic and scientific research. Over the years, the department has been developing a series of transcultural projects
with international partners. Of particular importance are the long-standing collaborations with partners in Mali, Ghana and
Uganda, which deal with ecologically and socially sustainable textile production. Students and graduates of the Angewandte
have conducted research in Morocco, Bhutan, India, Indonesia and China. These projects form an important basis for innovations
in art, science, research and teaching, and highlight the cultural, social, and ecological relevance of the field.
“Textiles – Free, Applied and Experimental Art and Design” is an inclusive department for new forms of collaboration and
cooperation, where textile cultures are understood as a critical practice that promotes solidarity-based education.
